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Walker & Arruda #1
Incel
Detective Damian Arruda thought his partner was just too distraught to accept his wife’s murder as a random act of violence. Then the devastated widower got too close to the truth, and now Damian is grieving his best friend. As his conscience threatens to eat him alive, he’ll stop at nothing to find the killer.
Special Agent Melissa Walker’s partner met a violent end as well, and his death is almost certainly connected. When she joins forces with Damian, the investigation takes them into the vile underbelly of the Internet: the incel community and its toxic forums full of misogynists who consider themselves “involuntarily celibate” and feed off each other’s vitriol and hatred.
As the pieces come together, there’s no denying the three deaths and the poisonous, cultlike community are part of a wave of murders, grisly assaults, and bombings. Damian and Melissa are running out of time to take the killers down before more innocent people fall victim—and before someone decides that one victim at a time isn’t enough.
This novel is approximately 125,000 words.
Special Agent Melissa Walker’s partner met a violent end as well, and his death is almost certainly connected. When she joins forces with Damian, the investigation takes them into the vile underbelly of the Internet: the incel community and its toxic forums full of misogynists who consider themselves “involuntarily celibate” and feed off each other’s vitriol and hatred.
As the pieces come together, there’s no denying the three deaths and the poisonous, cultlike community are part of a wave of murders, grisly assaults, and bombings. Damian and Melissa are running out of time to take the killers down before more innocent people fall victim—and before someone decides that one victim at a time isn’t enough.
This novel is approximately 125,000 words.
635 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2018
43 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Lori A. Witt
3 books21 followersLori A. Witt is the fourth corner of the Gallagher-Witt quad (L.A. Witt, Lauren Gallagher, and Ann Gallagher), and prefers to play in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and suspense over all that romance nonsense. Okay, so romance does show up sometimes, but these are the books she writes when she needs a change of pace. Suspense, thrillers, sword and sorcery, spaceships--Lori writes it all.
(Source: Amazon.com)
(Source: Amazon.com)
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 15, 2019
This story gives the reader a very clear look at the dark Internet world of incels - the twisted thinking that has these men believing that women are less than human ("femoids"), that all men are owed sex and they're just not getting theirs because of their unattractive looks, that the entire world of social interactions is driven by a twisted version of male attractiveness and female sexual seduction and cunning. If you haven't already encountered incels, it may seem over-the-top, but start researching and you'll find this mindset is scarily real. The internet gives us much, but it also creates these bitter caves where conspiracy theorists and cults and haters get together and reinforce and escalate each other, sometimes to the point of violence.
In this book, Melissa is a federal agent whose partner apparently committed suicide, but she's convinced it was murder. When Damian's police partner is murdered, and he finds out his partner was working with Melissa on her case, she has an easy time enlisting him into her investigation to find out who killed both their partners. But for a long time all they have to show for it are reams of online posts that don't clearly connect to the crimes. In a sea of Internet hate, it becomes a race to find the worst few who turn their ranting into real-world action, before their supervisors pull the plug on the investigation.
I appreciated that Melissa was strong, intelligent, an equal to Damian. Their relationship developed believably, very slowly, taking a back seat to plot, and with the kind of balance that's rare in M/F. I also liked that Damian was bi and out and it wasn't a dramatic factor, other than occasionally informing bits of the story. I appreciated that there were other intelligent female characters too, so Melissa was one of a group, not the sole "unusual" women we sometimes see in M/F.
I had a few quibbles with the law-enforcement parts of the plot, but I did like the way the investigation was portrayed - a slow and steady slog through the clues without unrealistic breakthroughs. The stress of dealing with a dark underside of humanity day in and day out is something that we probably don't recognize in law enforcement as often as we should. I know the author slogged through the misogyny and violent ideation and slave fantasies and suicidal bullying and all the other slime of the incel sites to write this book, and I am sure that left a mark, not just on her characters.
Be aware of all the trigger warnings for the above and for violence, but read this book for a look at a dark side of our culture that we would do well not to underestimate, and for a well-balanced mystery-romance with strong independent MCs.
In this book, Melissa is a federal agent whose partner apparently committed suicide, but she's convinced it was murder. When Damian's police partner is murdered, and he finds out his partner was working with Melissa on her case, she has an easy time enlisting him into her investigation to find out who killed both their partners. But for a long time all they have to show for it are reams of online posts that don't clearly connect to the crimes. In a sea of Internet hate, it becomes a race to find the worst few who turn their ranting into real-world action, before their supervisors pull the plug on the investigation.
I appreciated that Melissa was strong, intelligent, an equal to Damian. Their relationship developed believably, very slowly, taking a back seat to plot, and with the kind of balance that's rare in M/F. I also liked that Damian was bi and out and it wasn't a dramatic factor, other than occasionally informing bits of the story. I appreciated that there were other intelligent female characters too, so Melissa was one of a group, not the sole "unusual" women we sometimes see in M/F.
I had a few quibbles with the law-enforcement parts of the plot, but I did like the way the investigation was portrayed - a slow and steady slog through the clues without unrealistic breakthroughs. The stress of dealing with a dark underside of humanity day in and day out is something that we probably don't recognize in law enforcement as often as we should. I know the author slogged through the misogyny and violent ideation and slave fantasies and suicidal bullying and all the other slime of the incel sites to write this book, and I am sure that left a mark, not just on her characters.
Be aware of all the trigger warnings for the above and for violence, but read this book for a look at a dark side of our culture that we would do well not to underestimate, and for a well-balanced mystery-romance with strong independent MCs.
Want to Read
January 11, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/11/2020)! 🎁
October 29, 2018
This book is an incredibly stressful, difficult read, but it's worth it, if you're able to power through all the triggers.
Read the full review on my blog.
***NOTE: Due to the content of the book, and the fact my review will be posted after release day, I'm going to share all the WARNINGS from my review now so y'all know what you're getting into.***
WARNINGS: suicide, suicidal ideation, misogyny, graphic violence, slurs, gendered slurs, ableism, Nazi mention, rape mention, slavery mention, terrorism, cheating mention, stalking, acid attacks, slutshaming, binary language, anti-ace language, anti-gay language, anti-queerness, anti-fat language, racism, cissexism/anti-trans language, pedophilia mention, hospitalization, mental illness (panic attack), bombings, Holocaust mention, vomiting, anti-ace language (challenged on page), physical injury
Read the full review on my blog.
***NOTE: Due to the content of the book, and the fact my review will be posted after release day, I'm going to share all the WARNINGS from my review now so y'all know what you're getting into.***
WARNINGS: suicide, suicidal ideation, misogyny, graphic violence, slurs, gendered slurs, ableism, Nazi mention, rape mention, slavery mention, terrorism, cheating mention, stalking, acid attacks, slutshaming, binary language, anti-ace language, anti-gay language, anti-queerness, anti-fat language, racism, cissexism/anti-trans language, pedophilia mention, hospitalization, mental illness (panic attack), bombings, Holocaust mention, vomiting, anti-ace language (challenged on page), physical injury
Read
August 18, 2018Available October 20th.
April 28, 2019
Wow! I love this author & read anything she writes under all her pen names. Now this isn’t my kind of book, really, but I really got into the story.
It was actually kind of scary reading it, considering Incels do exist It was stressful and exhausting and distressing to read.... Ugh... *shivers*
The quality of the writing is again fantastic...
This part, towards the end of the book, after all the stress was over:
It’s over.
We can breathe again.
Now let’s drown.
Wow!
~~~
A quick note: The Go To function (to move from chapter to chapter) didn't work in this book. Not sure why...
It was actually kind of scary reading it, considering Incels do exist It was stressful and exhausting and distressing to read.... Ugh... *shivers*
The quality of the writing is again fantastic...
This part, towards the end of the book, after all the stress was over:
It’s over.
We can breathe again.
Now let’s drown.
Wow!
~~~
A quick note: The Go To function (to move from chapter to chapter) didn't work in this book. Not sure why...
October 21, 2018
Although the events of “Incel” take place over the course of only two weeks, this grueling suspense tale makes you feel every moment of the frustration, grief and horror at the worst humanity has to offer felt by the MCs. At the funeral of his partner Det. Allen Shepard, Damian Arruda is approached by FBI Special Agent Melissa Walker about partnering with her and taking up where she and Allen left off in their investigation of crimes connected to a group known as incels—involuntary celibates who believe woman, or rather, sex with women, is man’s god-given right and who are sick of being denied by “sluts” for not being attractive enough.
Beneath the cover of venting and vitriol found in the group lies a darker presence, not only encouraging his fellow brethren to take physical action against their “oppressors”, but also planning a terrorist attack large enough to live in infamy within the incel community and spark a revolution against anyone who isn’t an incel. With not much to go on, dwindling resources and battling their grief at having lost their partners, Melissa and Damien, must somehow find a way to stop the individual attacks as well as the man slowly building to even bigger mayhem.
This is one of the most realistic portrayals of the behind the scenes grind of investigation and the frustration of “knowing” something but having no proof that I have read in a while. Each and every lead is painstakingly found and points them only minimally in the right direction. There are no abrupt genius inspirations or a sudden tip or clue that unlocks the whole case. There are just hours of slogging through the filth on the incel forums and interviewing people so consumed with self-loathing and bitterness that they fan it into hatred and pour it out onto others. This pressure-cooker environment provides a way to explore Damien and Melissa at their most vulnerable and get a better sense of who they are at their core.
Damien is not only trying to handle his grief but also his guilt for not believing his partner. . . a guilt Melissa feels is well placed. Although a part of her blames Damien for Allen’s death, she doesn’t let her personal feelings get in the way and remains level-headed and professional. She doesn’t castigate him or try to make him feel bad; moreover, she offers him compassion for his loss. Frankly, I loved Melissa. I loved that she had a twenty-year career in the Marines, and that while she is no-nonsense, she is not cold or unrelatable. She’s extremely good at her job, a fair and capable leader, but not just a stereotype of the “strong woman”. She’s just a person, and not simply one thing because she is a woman. I also like Damian’s portrayal as well. He’s considered a great detective, but he’s not the hard-bitten stereotype. He’s best friends with his ex-wife, friends with his ex-boyfriend and is definitely a team player. He has no need to “prove” himself and teams up almost seamlessly with Melissa and the rest of the agents. Additionally, Melissa and Damien’s struggles to not give in to their grief and remain focused on the case is so well done, adding depth to the characters as well as more strain to a stressful situation to increase the tension.
As this is a Lori Witt title, the romance aspect is not the focus, and so there will be no steamy interludes to break the mounting heaviness or slimy disgust induced by the beliefs of the incels. As someone familiar with men’s right movement and incel community rhetoric, the posts used in the book could have been pulled right out of those communities’ threads. While the violence in the story is not graphic per se, the fact that acid attacks are a common form of violence against women coupled with the extreme misogyny can be triggering. However, if you are in the mood for a novel that exposes the reader to a real-life group of ugliness and hatred with well-written MCs and a well-paced plot to track down an internet ghost bent on destruction, “Incel” is for you. I hope we get to see more of Melissa and Damien in the future.
Beneath the cover of venting and vitriol found in the group lies a darker presence, not only encouraging his fellow brethren to take physical action against their “oppressors”, but also planning a terrorist attack large enough to live in infamy within the incel community and spark a revolution against anyone who isn’t an incel. With not much to go on, dwindling resources and battling their grief at having lost their partners, Melissa and Damien, must somehow find a way to stop the individual attacks as well as the man slowly building to even bigger mayhem.
This is one of the most realistic portrayals of the behind the scenes grind of investigation and the frustration of “knowing” something but having no proof that I have read in a while. Each and every lead is painstakingly found and points them only minimally in the right direction. There are no abrupt genius inspirations or a sudden tip or clue that unlocks the whole case. There are just hours of slogging through the filth on the incel forums and interviewing people so consumed with self-loathing and bitterness that they fan it into hatred and pour it out onto others. This pressure-cooker environment provides a way to explore Damien and Melissa at their most vulnerable and get a better sense of who they are at their core.
Damien is not only trying to handle his grief but also his guilt for not believing his partner. . . a guilt Melissa feels is well placed. Although a part of her blames Damien for Allen’s death, she doesn’t let her personal feelings get in the way and remains level-headed and professional. She doesn’t castigate him or try to make him feel bad; moreover, she offers him compassion for his loss. Frankly, I loved Melissa. I loved that she had a twenty-year career in the Marines, and that while she is no-nonsense, she is not cold or unrelatable. She’s extremely good at her job, a fair and capable leader, but not just a stereotype of the “strong woman”. She’s just a person, and not simply one thing because she is a woman. I also like Damian’s portrayal as well. He’s considered a great detective, but he’s not the hard-bitten stereotype. He’s best friends with his ex-wife, friends with his ex-boyfriend and is definitely a team player. He has no need to “prove” himself and teams up almost seamlessly with Melissa and the rest of the agents. Additionally, Melissa and Damien’s struggles to not give in to their grief and remain focused on the case is so well done, adding depth to the characters as well as more strain to a stressful situation to increase the tension.
As this is a Lori Witt title, the romance aspect is not the focus, and so there will be no steamy interludes to break the mounting heaviness or slimy disgust induced by the beliefs of the incels. As someone familiar with men’s right movement and incel community rhetoric, the posts used in the book could have been pulled right out of those communities’ threads. While the violence in the story is not graphic per se, the fact that acid attacks are a common form of violence against women coupled with the extreme misogyny can be triggering. However, if you are in the mood for a novel that exposes the reader to a real-life group of ugliness and hatred with well-written MCs and a well-paced plot to track down an internet ghost bent on destruction, “Incel” is for you. I hope we get to see more of Melissa and Damien in the future.
January 24, 2023
This is an incredibly hard book to read if you aren't very good with extreme hate and violence. I don't mind violence but I had to take breaks and go look at kitten videos to decompress. This book is hard to put down but trust me, walk away, you'll need down time.
Thank your god if you're never heard of "incels"--men who call themselves involuntarily celibate. They hate women who won't date them and they hate the men who do get women. Indulge me for a minute while I suggest we bring back "comportment" classes in which people learn manners, politeness and life skills. I've been fat all my life and am consider about a "3" even though I'm smart, funny and have talents. Incels, who are usually around 1, 2, 0r 3s themselves feel they deserve women who are 10s. Guys, take a shower, dress neatly, and learn the art of conversation. You deserve NOTHING you won't work for.
But I digress. Retired Army and now a cop Damian has lost his partner. Melissa, retired Marine and now an FBI agent are brough together when both lose their partners, one to murder, one to suicide. Melissa is head of a cybercrimes task force who, along with her team, are in Seattle, monitoring incel web sites and trying to figure out if they are involved with acid attacks on good looking men, and if they are planning more attacks. Damian is asked to join Melissa's team.
All the characters are well developed, especially the two mains. M & D work well together. Both are smart and respectful towards each other. The horrific job they do and the language they endure while investigating incel suspects is hard to read. Author Witt did a lot of research and really hit the button on the incel lifestyle.
I could write a very long review here but instead, I'll just say, read the book. Be prepared and if it ends up on your DNF file, at least you tried. But you'll miss a great story and two wonderful characters. And Ms. Witt, if you're reading this, get this book to Hollywood.
Thank your god if you're never heard of "incels"--men who call themselves involuntarily celibate. They hate women who won't date them and they hate the men who do get women. Indulge me for a minute while I suggest we bring back "comportment" classes in which people learn manners, politeness and life skills. I've been fat all my life and am consider about a "3" even though I'm smart, funny and have talents. Incels, who are usually around 1, 2, 0r 3s themselves feel they deserve women who are 10s. Guys, take a shower, dress neatly, and learn the art of conversation. You deserve NOTHING you won't work for.
But I digress. Retired Army and now a cop Damian has lost his partner. Melissa, retired Marine and now an FBI agent are brough together when both lose their partners, one to murder, one to suicide. Melissa is head of a cybercrimes task force who, along with her team, are in Seattle, monitoring incel web sites and trying to figure out if they are involved with acid attacks on good looking men, and if they are planning more attacks. Damian is asked to join Melissa's team.
All the characters are well developed, especially the two mains. M & D work well together. Both are smart and respectful towards each other. The horrific job they do and the language they endure while investigating incel suspects is hard to read. Author Witt did a lot of research and really hit the button on the incel lifestyle.
I could write a very long review here but instead, I'll just say, read the book. Be prepared and if it ends up on your DNF file, at least you tried. But you'll miss a great story and two wonderful characters. And Ms. Witt, if you're reading this, get this book to Hollywood.
March 10, 2020
Audiobook review:
Performance - 5
Story - 5
Overall - 5
Intriguing, Gripping and Outstanding!
I am a huge fan of this author, who is also known by several other pennames, but I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. My husband and I started listening to it during a 3-hour drive on our way to a cruise. It's a 13-hour book so I knew we wouldn't get to finish it but I didn't expect to wait 3 more months before picking it up again.
This time we started it on our return home from a book con, 4-hour drive. Of course, that wasn't enough time to finish it, but this time we immediately began listening again once we unloaded our car. We literally didn't do anything else except for listening to this book until it was finished. It grabbed hold of both of us so hard that we HAD to finish it.
OMG, the audio performance of this story is outstanding and deserves at least 10 stars. It's a very dark book having to do with the dark web and a group of men who consider themselves involuntarily celibate (Incels). These men hate beautiful men and women and have all kinds of nasty names for them. They want to do them harm and this book deals with the investigation into this group and the crimes they have committed.
A fair amount of the dialogue in this book are messages from forums on the dark web. I mention this because I almost couldn't believe the fantastic job that Ian Walker did voicing these exchanges. The various accents and voices he used for the many different characters just blew me and my husband away.
I'm sure that an enormous amount of research was done before the author wrote this story. Since I have no personal knowledge of law enforcement, I can only say that the book was very believable to me.
If you're looking for a romance there's only the tiniest bit of it in this story but that didn't matter at all to me and about 99% of what I read is romance. Incel is shown as book one in the Walker & Arruda series and I really hope that there will be more in this series.
Performance - 5
Story - 5
Overall - 5
Intriguing, Gripping and Outstanding!
I am a huge fan of this author, who is also known by several other pennames, but I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. My husband and I started listening to it during a 3-hour drive on our way to a cruise. It's a 13-hour book so I knew we wouldn't get to finish it but I didn't expect to wait 3 more months before picking it up again.
This time we started it on our return home from a book con, 4-hour drive. Of course, that wasn't enough time to finish it, but this time we immediately began listening again once we unloaded our car. We literally didn't do anything else except for listening to this book until it was finished. It grabbed hold of both of us so hard that we HAD to finish it.
OMG, the audio performance of this story is outstanding and deserves at least 10 stars. It's a very dark book having to do with the dark web and a group of men who consider themselves involuntarily celibate (Incels). These men hate beautiful men and women and have all kinds of nasty names for them. They want to do them harm and this book deals with the investigation into this group and the crimes they have committed.
A fair amount of the dialogue in this book are messages from forums on the dark web. I mention this because I almost couldn't believe the fantastic job that Ian Walker did voicing these exchanges. The various accents and voices he used for the many different characters just blew me and my husband away.
I'm sure that an enormous amount of research was done before the author wrote this story. Since I have no personal knowledge of law enforcement, I can only say that the book was very believable to me.
If you're looking for a romance there's only the tiniest bit of it in this story but that didn't matter at all to me and about 99% of what I read is romance. Incel is shown as book one in the Walker & Arruda series and I really hope that there will be more in this series.
February 28, 2026
Incel is a gripping, darkly compelling thriller that tackles timely and chilling subject matter. Lori A. Witt immerses readers in the investigation of a deadly online subculture, balancing procedural intensity with psychological insight. Damian and Melissa are sharply drawn protagonists whose personal stakes heighten the suspense, making the story feel immediate and emotionally charged.
What stands out most is the novel’s fearless engagement with the toxic incel community. The tension is relentless, the pacing taut, and the stakes never drop every clue, every discovery propels the narrative forward. The combination of investigative procedural elements with social commentary creates a thriller that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. In audiobook form, the suspense and emotional resonance can be amplified through skilled narration, drawing listeners into the high-stakes investigation.
This is a story that will appeal to thriller listeners seeking both intense procedural drama and an unflinching exploration of a dangerous subculture.
What stands out most is the novel’s fearless engagement with the toxic incel community. The tension is relentless, the pacing taut, and the stakes never drop every clue, every discovery propels the narrative forward. The combination of investigative procedural elements with social commentary creates a thriller that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. In audiobook form, the suspense and emotional resonance can be amplified through skilled narration, drawing listeners into the high-stakes investigation.
This is a story that will appeal to thriller listeners seeking both intense procedural drama and an unflinching exploration of a dangerous subculture.
November 4, 2018
For anyone who reads this book and thinks it's a little over the top, I felt that way, too. Until this weekend when we had a shooting that left killed 2 women and wounded 5 others. The killer was an Incel and reading his words and police record was like reading this book all over again, right down to referencing Elliot Roger, who was the idol of Incels in Witt's book. Google about the shooting in a Tallahassee yoga studio if you're interested. Aside from that, this book was great with character development second to none. Add in the suspense and strong writing and it's a keeper. The arguments between incels and regular people were fascinating and felt like watching a ping-pong game. My mouth fell open a lot of times while I read this book. Lori Witt has to have done a lot of research for this one.
October 24, 2018
Wow. More than 5 Stars.
I have huge admiration for this author. The depths of depravity is where the research for this story was done and she deserves an award for putting herself through that for us.
As for the book itself? I was glued from the first page. It's brilliantly written and while parts of it are difficult to read (the forum chats are horrific) none of it is gratuitous. It's not there for pure "entertainment" purposes, it's an absolutely necessary part of the story. The romance takes a backseat to the case but still piques our interest.
I think the author has done an incredible job dealing with a very difficult subject and left me with a big enough interest in the characters to make me very eager to read their next story.
I have huge admiration for this author. The depths of depravity is where the research for this story was done and she deserves an award for putting herself through that for us.
As for the book itself? I was glued from the first page. It's brilliantly written and while parts of it are difficult to read (the forum chats are horrific) none of it is gratuitous. It's not there for pure "entertainment" purposes, it's an absolutely necessary part of the story. The romance takes a backseat to the case but still piques our interest.
I think the author has done an incredible job dealing with a very difficult subject and left me with a big enough interest in the characters to make me very eager to read their next story.
January 26, 2019
Difficult reading but worthwhile
Given the subject matter, this was a slow and at times painful read. Much like the investigators, frequent breaks were necessary.
Walker and Arruda make a good team, and their progress though the case is believable, although somewhat rushed, unless you consider the actual length of time the team has been at work, with Arruda recently joining.
There is enough foreshadowing to indicate at least some of the antagonists, but the actual revelation is well done.
I'm looking forward to another in this series.
Given the subject matter, this was a slow and at times painful read. Much like the investigators, frequent breaks were necessary.
Walker and Arruda make a good team, and their progress though the case is believable, although somewhat rushed, unless you consider the actual length of time the team has been at work, with Arruda recently joining.
There is enough foreshadowing to indicate at least some of the antagonists, but the actual revelation is well done.
I'm looking forward to another in this series.
December 1, 2019
Good, tightly written crime drama
I met this author at the RMA convention in NY earlier this year. I was intrigued by the title of this book and finally got around to reading it.
While it's not my preferred genre, I really liked it! It seemed real, and felt like the characters were actual people. The writing was skillful....enough description to let the reader get the feel of the setting, characters, etc., but not so much as to be distracting.
If you like crime/action drama, with a bit of sex and romance thrown in, this book is for you.
I met this author at the RMA convention in NY earlier this year. I was intrigued by the title of this book and finally got around to reading it.
While it's not my preferred genre, I really liked it! It seemed real, and felt like the characters were actual people. The writing was skillful....enough description to let the reader get the feel of the setting, characters, etc., but not so much as to be distracting.
If you like crime/action drama, with a bit of sex and romance thrown in, this book is for you.
February 21, 2019
Enjoyed it tremendously!
I found Lori on Facebook on some page or another, and her energy and smarts stuck with me. I bought Incel when it came out, but only now read it.
So talented! The mystery stayed mysterious to the end. The characters are realistic and well written.
Nice work! Looking forward to number two in this series.
I found Lori on Facebook on some page or another, and her energy and smarts stuck with me. I bought Incel when it came out, but only now read it.
So talented! The mystery stayed mysterious to the end. The characters are realistic and well written.
Nice work! Looking forward to number two in this series.
June 28, 2019
Decent writing. The topic was difficult at times to read. Some of it was too telegraphed, such as who two of the incels were doing the injuries and killing.
September 25, 2018
This is a fantastic read! Perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell's early Scarpetta books or the CSI TV series.
Melissa and Damien are fantastic together. They've lost their work partners to a serial killer that their supervisors doubt even exists. They agree to band together to find the man behind their losses and investigate the online community of trolls and psychopaths that are escalating crimes in the real world.
Melissa and Damien are beginning to form a romantic relationship by the end of this book, but there are no instant Feelings which I love. This is first and foremost a cyber/psychological thriller. I LOVE that Damien is Bisexual--and not just a throwaway mention of Bisexuality, but shown as having healthy relationships with both men and women. LOVE the representation. Heck yeah!
The fact that the incel community exists and that this is a realistic representation of their beliefs is horrific. The views expressed by this community in "Incel" are almost too much to believe, but they are out there. *shudder*
Melissa and Damien are fantastic together. They've lost their work partners to a serial killer that their supervisors doubt even exists. They agree to band together to find the man behind their losses and investigate the online community of trolls and psychopaths that are escalating crimes in the real world.
Melissa and Damien are beginning to form a romantic relationship by the end of this book, but there are no instant Feelings which I love. This is first and foremost a cyber/psychological thriller. I LOVE that Damien is Bisexual--and not just a throwaway mention of Bisexuality, but shown as having healthy relationships with both men and women. LOVE the representation. Heck yeah!
The fact that the incel community exists and that this is a realistic representation of their beliefs is horrific. The views expressed by this community in "Incel" are almost too much to believe, but they are out there. *shudder*
February 4, 2019
Incel is the first book I have read by Witt. I have a handful of her other books that are more romanc-y. I decided to read this one since the current state of the US is something I am feeling I need my suspense reading to have.
This was a gripping book. Witt lays out the right background for meeting the main characters and then takes you to the icky-ness of the incel community (Involuntary Celibate), and my curiosity got the better of me and they don't like me on reddit. lol
I look forward to the next installment traffic (about sex trafficking).
Well done. Like a season of SVU with a nice splash of some sexual tension.
This was a gripping book. Witt lays out the right background for meeting the main characters and then takes you to the icky-ness of the incel community (Involuntary Celibate), and my curiosity got the better of me and they don't like me on reddit. lol
I look forward to the next installment traffic (about sex trafficking).
Well done. Like a season of SVU with a nice splash of some sexual tension.
January 13, 2020
4 1/2, at least. This was a very grim book. I feel like I'm still trying to process because the law enforcement team's adversaries were so vile. However, it was well-written, and seemed like it could be all too realistic. Part of the grimness for me was knowing that some men have those horrible opinions about women.
Given all that hatred and denigration, plus rules about fraternization, it seemed odd to me that Damian and Melissa started a relationship. Still, the relationship took second place to the investigation.
Given all that hatred and denigration, plus rules about fraternization, it seemed odd to me that Damian and Melissa started a relationship. Still, the relationship took second place to the investigation.
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